Pakistan vs Australia: Tim Paine and Co face tough test against hosts as new era begins

How often do you see all members of a cricket team walk out collectively to observe a pitch? It happened on Wednesday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as nearly all members of the Australian team including the support staff converged around the 22-yard strip. Most of them were barefoot and each of them glanced at the pitch before a few of players made a couple of inquiries to the curator, who stood adjacent to it. Pitches in Asia have given nightmares to the Australians in recent past. The men from Down Under have not won a series in the continent for seven years and in the corresponding series four years ago were whitewashed by Pakistan 2-0. [caption id=“attachment_5329911” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Tim Paine and Nathan Lyon. Reuters[/caption] But this is a different Australian team by all accounts. They might be an inexperienced group without David Warner and Steve Smith, but what they lack in experience has been negotiated with intense preparations. Most of the young batsmen spent four weeks in India playing for Australia A team. This was followed by a week’s camp in Dubai followed by a four-day practice match. Fair to say, Australia have had plenty of practice and even the new faces in the Australian team should not be taken back by the conditions. It is also the beginning of the new regime under the coaching of Justin Langer. The former opener has made no qualms about the cricket he wants his side to play. In the past, the Australians have arrived on the slow and low pitches and tried to play in the same manner as they would back at home. But ever since the last tour of India, things have changed radically. There has been plenty of emphasis on defense, patience and scoring run in areas that enable risk-free cricket. On the team news side, Australia is set to hand debuts to Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, while Peter Siddle is battling for a spot with Michael Nesser to partner Mitchell Starc with the new ball. It is also shaping up as a crucial series for Usman Khawaja. The left-hander has struggled in Asia and this tour presents a good chance to prove to the critics that he can score runs on spin-friendly pitches. For Australia to prevail, a lot will also be expected from Shaun and Mitch Marsh. With Warner and Smith missing, the success of the Marsh brothers could well dictate the fortunes for Australia with the bat. One man that is certain to pose an enormous threat to Pakistan is Nathan Lyon. The off-spinner has improved vastly since his previous visit and has learned the art of bowling on the slower pitches. We can expect Lyon to be a handful and a match winner. On the other side of the coin, Pakistan are also going through a rebuilding phase. They are still yet to fill the void left by Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan. Pakistan never lost a series in UAE with both of them in the side but were handed a 2-0 defeat by Sri Lanka last year in their absence. However, Australia are no Sri Lanka and Pakistan will take confidence from their opponent’s poor record in Asia in the past. But as Mickey Arthur noted, they simply cannot take such aspects for granted and need to be at their best to beat Australia. Pakistan’s plan to unsettle Australia with the dual leg-spin attack of Yasir Shah and Shadab Khan took a blow two days before the match, with Shadab succumbing to a groin injury. It means Yasir Shah will have to share the spin bowling duties with off-spinners Bilal Asif and Mohammad Hafeez. It leaves Pakistan slightly depleted in the spin bowling ranks and perhaps evens out the contest. The big question for Pakistan is can the next crop of emerging batsmen like Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam and Haris Sohail score big runs. Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq are seasoned campaigners, but need more from the youngsters, if Pakistan are to post decent totals in the series. The fact that Hafeez was included in the squad at the last minute also tends to suggest that Pakistan are concerned about their batting and need an experienced head to guide the youngsters. The hosts have been preparing for the Test series for a week in Dubai and have practiced diligently. Batsmen have batted at the non-striker’s end and played spinners out of foot holes in preparation for Lyon. The sweep shot has been the main weapon and the Pakistan team will know that if they negotiate Lyon it will go a long way in winning the series. After a disappointing Asia cup, the pressure is also mounting on the captain, Sarfraz Ahmed. The wicketkeeper-batsmen will need to be at his best behind the stumps and will need to contribute down the order with the willow. A victory against Australia will lift the spirits of the nation, but if Pakistan loses to a team that has a history of failing in the subcontinent then it could lead to a national revolt against a team that has already lost a few fans. There will be pressure moments but at the end of the day, the team that seizes the momentum during those crucial periods will come out on top.